Titanium
by RinSabreDelta
Summary: Gabby jumps at a once in a lifetime chance and gets far more than she bargained for.
1. Chapter 1

Taking a deep breath, Gabby wondered for the one hundredth time what she was doing. Arriving had been easy enough, and one of the single men was more than happy to have her on their arm for the sake of the cameras and security. He'd promptly left her at the door, and she fought the urge to pat her brown hair or smooth her gown. She could hear her friends' voices in her mind as she stepped into the party.

" _Those Stark parties always look amazing." "It would be so cool to go to one." "Gabby, you can go! We'll make you a dress and everything."_

Snagging a glass of champagne from a passing tray, she did her best not to gulp it down as she looked around. It was everything she hoped it would be and more; A-listers wandered the room in couture gowns and tuxedos, waiters moved with high-class drinks, and an eight piece orchestral set played in a corner. Gabby was going to have some serious stories to tell her friends. Taking a peek to make sure the deep green dress she wore was still immaculate, she made her way to a table where food was set out.

Tony held back a yawn as he watched the crowd. Parties used to be one of his favorite activities, but now he'd rather be up in his labs working on a new suit. People passed by, women with flirty smiles and men with a calculating look. Most of the people here were business associates; those who either wanted him back in the arms business or wanted to buy into his current company. Honestly, he was only going to stay the amount of time it took to be polite. That was before he spotted the beauty in the green dress stuffing an entire hors d'oeuvres in her mouth. It was so…normal. Setting his drink aside, he made his way over to her.

"Enjoying yourself?" Gabby nearly choked on the little crab cake, turning quickly. Her own eye blue eyes connected with a pair of familiar brown eyes: Tony Stark. Her eyes widened as she realized who was smirking down at her, and she was quick to swallow the food. They hadn't planned on the host himself finding her; briefly, she wondered if he was here to discreetly throw her out.

"Erm, yeah. It's a pretty great party, Mr. Stark." Gabby wanted to kick herself for the lame response. Of course it was a great party; Stark didn't settle for anything less. He seemed amused as he looked down at her.

"Glad to hear it, Ms…?" The rational part of her brain told her she shouldn't give her real name. The other part wanted to know what it could hurt. It's not like he'd find her after tonight.

"You can call me Gabby." She gave what she hoped was a friendly smile, earning one from him in return. He scooped up another crab cake, answering before taking a bite.

"In that case, call me Tony." He looked down at this girl who clearly didn't belong in his usual circles. Her dress, a dark green number with a high low skirt, wasn't done by any designer he knew, and her hair and make-up was certainly not professional. She was still very pretty, however, and certainly more interesting than the models chatting about their next photoshoot.

"Okay then, Tony." She seemed a bit out of place, and so he led her away from the crowd towards the gardens. She went willingly, if a bit stiff, and he wondered if she was worried about him tossing her out. He wouldn't, of course, she was far too entertaining already for that.

"So, Gabby, what brings you to my party?" He glanced down to see her nibbling at another crab cake, and he wondered for a moment when she'd gotten the time to grab it. She seemed to think over her answer carefully.

"Why not? Stark parties are legendary." She shrugged, not meeting his gaze. She couldn't wait to tell everyone what happened here tonight, but first she had to make sure she wasn't tossed in a cell for the night. He seemed happy with her answer, however, and it gave her a reason to relax.

"Well, you're not wrong there." They lapsed into an easy silence as they wandered through manicured bushes and carefully planted flowers. She began to wonder what this place would look like in the daytime, filled with colors and shapes she'd likely never seen. "I hope you're enjoying yourself at least." She was pulled from her thoughts by his voice, and turned to look up at him.

"I am, thank you." Her voice was soft and a bit nervous, and it made Tony want to find a way to get her to relax. He led her to a bench and gave a smile as she sat next to him, though he noted she left plenty of space between them.

"So, can I ask how you got in? Because I think I would have remembered inviting you." Though his tone was joking, he was genuinely curious. Gabby stiffened, eyes widening a bit as she seemed to search for an answer to give. A strange buzzing sounded, and she was quick to pull a cell phone from a hidden pocket in her gown. With a look of relief, she stood.

"I have to go. Sorry!" She was already rushing off before he could say anything, leaving him stunned. No one had ditched him like that in a long time, but he wasn't angry. Instead, he wanted to know more about her.

Gabby had never been happier for her phone to interrupt. The text from her best friend Sadie was a godsend; her ride was here to rescue her before security got wind of her. She didn't care that people were watching her as she practically ran to the front doors, and she didn't fully relax until she was safe in the passenger seat of Sadie's Accord. As they drove away, Gabby couldn't help but wonder why Mr. Stark had singled her out. She quickly shook the though away; it's not as though they'd see each other again.


	2. Chapter 2

The next day, Gabby was spared from having to tell her friends about the adventure until lunch, when they all arrived at the café where she worked. Over her break, she answered their questions as best she could, though she didn't mention her meeting with the man himself. The thirty minutes passed quickly, and she was more than happy to get back to work. The afternoons were usually slow, and Gabby took the opportunity to read in between customers.

"Excuse me?" She looked up, into a pair of too-familiar brown eyes. Gabby could feel herself pale as Tony gave a charming smile. "I was hoping you could help me. I was going to grab a coffee, but I'm not fond of drinking it alone." As quickly as all color left her cheeks, an abundance returned. She blinked, unsure of what to say to such blatant flirting. Numbly, she nodded and pulled the pad of paper over to herself.

"What can I get you?" Her voice didn't waver, which gave her a misplaced sense of pride. His grin seemed to widen.

"Whatever's best. I trust you to pick." He winked at her, setting another blaze across her cheeks as she nodded and set to making the house special for him and a basic cup of coffee for herself. He waited at the counter as she worked, waving to some kids who passed by and nodding to what few other patrons there were. She slid his cup over the counter towards him, and he raised a brow. "C'mon, we can sit at the corner table like the stereotype we're acting." That brought a smile to her lips, and she followed him over to the seat in question. They sat in silence for only a few moments.

"How…did you find me?" Gabby kept her voice low, not wanting to draw attention to them. He sipped his latte, making a sound of contentment.

"Good coffee." She arched a brow and he continued. "Facial recognition. You were actually very easy to find." Though he smiled, it didn't make her feel any better. He seemed to sense it, and placed a hand over hers. "Don't worry, you have to be fairly rich to afford the tech necessary. You're safe."

"Right. So, what brings a billionaire to a little hole in the wall coffee shop?" She sipped her own coffee now, needing to keep her hands occupied. Tony gave a quiet chuckle.

"The pretty barista." Again with the obvious flirting. Not that guys didn't flirt with her; plenty did, and usually customers. It was the fact that a rather famous billionaire superhero was doing it. Color her surreal.

"Oh, then you came on the wrong day. She works weekends." Her flirty reply took him by surprise, and judging by her face, it surprised her as well. Tony couldn't help but let his smile grow. She was certainly charming, and rather pretty. Tony found himself wanting to spend the day out here at the café, instead of his lab. He took another sip of the latte, surprised at how good it was.

"No, I've definitely got the right one. Gown or not, I'd recognize those eyes anywhere." As if on cue, her face flushed, and he wondered what was behind it. Did she honestly never get hit on before? Or was it something else? Maybe she was worried about getting in trouble for crashing the party. "I actually wanted to thank you for coming to the party last night."

"What?" His words had caught Gabby off-guard, and she blinked as he gave another laugh. "Wait, seriously? But…I basically broke in." She was sure to keep her voice low, glancing around to be sure no one was listening in. Tony gave a laugh, shaking his head.

"I know. It was pretty fun. And you running out at the chime of your phone…" He leaned closer, waggling his eyebrows. "Very Cinderella, wouldn't you say?" There was something in his gaze that unsettled her a bit, and she cleared her throat.

"Nah. Love at first sight is silly, and that's the basis for the story." She shrugged, gathering her cup and a napkin she'd been fiddling with in preparation to leave. "I should get back to work, Mr. Stark. Your coffee can be on me." He followed her back to the counter.

"It's Tony, Gabby." He winked. "And I'll see you around." He slipped a hundred dollar bill into the tip jar before she could stop him, and was out the door in a flash. Gabby stood in shock until another customer caught her attention, distracting her from the strange turn her afternoon had taken.


	3. Chapter 3

Two days after, Gabby watched as Tony came back into her little coffee shop. She dropped her gaze to the work in front of her, mind racing to figure out what this guy wanted from her. The customer thanked her and soon she was faced with the man himself.

"Hello Gabby." He seemed chipper, and she began to make the special for the day.

"Hello Tony. What brings you here today?"

"I was hoping to ask you on a date." Her hand shifted in surprise, spilling coffee on her jeans and the counter. His smile faded just a bit as she moved to clean it up. "Sorry. Guess I could have asked a better way."

"No, no, it's fine. My fault." She was quick to clean up the spill, but nothing could be done for her jeans. With a sigh, she grabbed a spare apron from under the counter and tied it on. "Why would you want to go out with me?"

"Why not?" His smile was back, and she set to making him a fresh cup of coffee.

"I can think of a slew of reasons." Arching a brow, she offered the cup to him. He took it, giving a sniff before sipping.

"Well, we can discuss those reasons later. Maybe over dinner?" He was smooth, she'd give him that. Still, she thought it over carefully. "Anywhere you want, it's on me." Maybe it could be fun, she reasoned with herself. After all, how many baristas could say a billionaire asked them to dinner? And it wasn't as though she'd sleep with him.

"Alright. One date." If possible, his smile grew and she chuckled. "I would like to go out for…Cajun." He blinked, and she knew she'd caught him off-guard. Likely he'd expected some upscale restaurant, and she was happy to keep him guessing. "I know a place, I think you'll like it." He chuckled, shaking his head.

"Alright. Cajun it is." He slipped a fifty into the change jar, and she caught his arm.

"Hey, you know, you don't have to tip that much. It's just coffee." He leaned a bit closer, smirking.

"No, it isn't." With that, he was gone, leaving her to wonder just what that was supposed to mean.

Gabby arrived at Stark Tower after her shift, stopping at home to change her jeans and put on a more appropriate shirt. She waited in the lobby awkwardly, trying not to meet the curious gaze of the security officer behind the desk.

"You made it." She turned to see Tony step off an elevator, wearing a leather jacket, classic rock t-shirt, and jeans. It was incredibly different from the suits she'd seen so far, yet very attractive. He gave her a knowing smile. "Ready to go?" She nodded, and he led her out to a town car parked outside. She gave the address to the driver, who introduced himself as Happy, and Tony arched a brow. "Hell's Kitchen? Interesting choice." Gabby smirked, knowing it wouldn't likely be a place he visited often, and settled into the plush seating for the ride. Tony made small talk with her and she was surprised it didn't feel more awkward. He was a fairly down to earth guy, not at all the playboy portrayed in the celeb gossip rags. They arrived in good time and Tony held the door open for her as she got out.

"Excited?" She asked him as they entered, the smell of cayenne and other spices filling the air. He grinned, taking her hand in his own and surprising her.

"Definitely. I've never actually had Cajun food." Gabby couldn't help the shocked look that crossed her face, and he snorted. "Close your mouth, or you'll get flies." She did as he asked just as they were led to their seats.

"Wait, like never?" Tony shook his head, eyes dropping to the menu. "How is that even possible?"

"It's not like there are tons of high-end Cajun food places." He gave her a look, and she couldn't help the giggle that escaped. She hadn't expected anything like this, and it had to be the first fun date she'd been on in a while. "Can I ask a favor?" Gabby nodded, reaching for her own menu. "Would you order for me? I'm not sure what's the best." Her eyes met his and she could see the uncertainty there. He really was out of his element, and for a moment she felt bad.

"Yeah, of course." She leaned over a bit, dropping her voice. "You know, if you want, we can go somewhere else…"

"What? No." He gave a laugh, surprising her. "You've got me all excited. I mean, the smell alone in this place is amazing." It was a relief to her, and she opened the menu.

"Alright, if you're sure about this." He nodded, looking as well.

"Definitely." Upon the waiter's arrival, Gabby let Tony pick the drinks since she was choosing the food. Once the wine hit the table, she took charge, ordering an appetizer of fried gator tail. Tony had given her a funny look at that, and she waved him off as she continued ordering. She choose to have jambalaya, seafood gumbo, and blackened catfish to share. The waiter had hurried right off to put in their order, and she sipped her wine.

"So, is this where we discuss those reasons I mentioned earlier?" Tony looked at her blankly for a moment before recognition dawned in his eyes.

"You still don't think I should be asking you out?" She nodded and he gave a small smile. "Alright, why don't we hear some of these reasons?" Gabby took a deep breath.

"I crashed your fancy party."

"I enjoyed your company there. Would love to have you at another." His quick reply caught her off-guard, and she had to take a moment to think of her next reason.

"I'm not rich or famous." He simply shrugged, seemingly unconcerned. Their appetizer arrived, and she waited until the waiter left before giving her final reason. "I'm not your type." That had him laughing, and she shook her head. "It's true."

"And just what exactly is my type, Gabby?" He popped a piece of the gator tail in his mouth, glancing down at it in surprise. She was glad he was enjoying it, and almost forgot to answer his question.

"Models. Escorts." It was her turn to shrug and eat a piece of the food, as he gave her a pointed look. "In general, people more attractive than a local barista." He frowned and she ate another piece. She wasn't blind; while she knew she was pretty, she also knew she wasn't a stunning person. Brown hair and blue eyes was nice, sure, but it's about as far as it went for her "unique" features.

"Hm. Well, maybe I think the local barista is very pretty." Tony immediately switched topics, making small talk about their jobs. It took a bit for her shock to wear off, but as she watched him enjoy different foods and got to know him better, she began to really enjoy the night out with him. When he offered to drive her home, she almost invited him up; in the end, they had parted ways and Gabby found herself with the hope that this wasn't the last time she'd see him.


End file.
